SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) _ Alize Johnson had 24 points and 20 rebounds and J.T. Miller scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting to help Missouri State beat Northern Iowa 62-55 on Thursday night.
Johnson has two of the nation’s five games this season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. It was his fourth consecutive double-double and his 10th of the season.
Miller scored seven points, including two conventional 3-point plays, during a 15-2 run that gave Missouri State (13-3, 3-0 Missouri Valley Conference) a 12-point lead late in the first half. The Bears took a 31-22 lead into the break and Northern Iowa trailed the rest of the way.
Miller made a layup and Johnson hit two free throws to give Missouri State a 19-point lead with six minutes to go, but the Bears missed 7 of 8 from the field and committed three turnovers from there. Northern Iowa (8-7, 0-3) made six consecutive field-goal attempts during a 17-2 run that cut its deficit to 57-53
when Klint Carlson hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining, but Missouri State made 5-of-6 free throws thereon to seal it.
Tywhon Pickford had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Carlson added 16 and nine, for Northern Iowa. It was the third double-double for Pickford, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard, who came in averaging 8.9 rebounds per game.
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